Our History

Georgia River Network was born on the banks of the Oconee River near Dublin, dreamed up by a group of guys who loved fishing and paddling and who wanted to protect Georgia’s river treasures.

It was the late 1990s, and after a decade of aggressive population and development growth, rivers across the state were running red with dirt from hasty, sloppy construction projects. We Georgians were using 10% more water than the national average while in the middle of the most significant drought in our history.

Our waterways were under attack, not only from development, but also in the Georgia legislature, where the laws protecting the state’s rivers, streams, wetlands and even drinking water supply reservoirs were being weakened again and again.

Over a decade later, Georgia River Network has seen some change for the better, but meaningful change is slow.

Our staff and board envision a day when Georgia’s rivers are a focal point of our communities, a place we bring our families to have fun, be together, celebrate and relax. We hope to see these rivers being used to enrich our lives, fuel our economy in creative ways, and provide clean, healthy drinking water to all Georgians for years to come.

And we couldn’t do this important work without the support of Georgia’s concerned and dedicated citizens. Thank you for helping us to protect our precious water legacy.

We hope you’ll consider becoming a member of Georgia River Network so we can continue our mission together.